Wolverine & Shadowcat: The Long Way Home

[BakedBeans 1up]

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Wolverine & Shadowcat: The Long Way Home​

It was a horrible time to be a mutant. Even the most heroic of them had been turned in to villains, blamed for all of the world's problems. They were an easy target because they were different, and if history taught the survivors of this hellish world one thing—it was that people did not like "different". Fear had polluted the population of the towns and cities that were scattered across the country, turning them in to heavily-guarded safe havens which were sprinkled with "no mutants allowed" signs upon every wall and hulking billboards that could be seen for miles. Huge walls were erected as a way of protecting the people from the mutant threat, though they were no use. The mutant gene could not be eradicated, and while most powers began to develop around the puberty stage, it was not uncommon for symptons to begin showing during adulthood. Best friends and family members were suddenly ostrichsed from society, forced in to exile for a condition that they had no control over.

The X-Men, a group formed by Charles Xavier, sought to protect those who were confused, angry or in danger from a world that hated them. His dream of humans and mutants co-existing with one another had turned in to a dystopian nightmare, though even as they hid like rats in a sewer, he still had faith that one day, his dreams would become a reality.
His team would be sent to find mutants and "bring them home", though they were not always successful. Tonight was one of those nights.

Bobby Drake had been one of the longest-serving members of the X-Men, despite his young age compared to his peers. The harsh world of survival had roughened his exterior—gone was the clean-shaven look and the youthful features of his face. Even his immature behaviour, something which Bobby was known for, had been replaced with a weary outlook on life. It was perhaps for that reason that he had drifted apart from his ex-girlfriend Kitty over the last few years, something which had resulted in their break-up. With their constant struggles with survival weighing down upon their shoulders, there had been no time for mourning or emotional problems. It had left some long-standing awkwardness between the pair, a longing for closure that never seemed to come.

Of course, tonight was one of those nights that he would be paired with Kitty and even someone a mile away could feel the tension. He had trouble even looking at her, and the moment their eyes would meet, he was quick to roll them away. Bobby pushed his himself back against the wall of the alleyway, tilting his head round the corner to look at the empty midnight street. Soaked newspapers fluttered around like tumbleweeds, while the buzzing of a blinking neon sign could be heard from nearby.

It was quiet. Or as the cliché went, it was too quiet for a city with a population bursting at the seams, where the citizens were stuffed in to apartment blocks like cattle. With large parts of the country now uninhabited wasteland, these downtown areas found themselves struggling to cope with the influx of so-called refugees.

"That's his apartment, right there." Bobby whispered, looking at one of the tall structures a short walk from the alleyway. "What room is it?" He asked, his head turning towards Kitty but his eyes seemingly reluctant to turn with it. "Can you remember?"

 

[xSiryn]

Whenever they received intel that a new mutant had been found, Kitty couldn't help but compare how the plan of sneak in and rescue was compared to the recruitment pitch that was used during her time as a student in the X-Mansion. She could still remember how the Professor, Storm, Dr Grey and Colossus had appeared at her family home, all pleasant smiles and friendly platitudes, until they were inside and talking about her 'recent development', something her parents had kept concealed and they all had practically lit up at the opportunity for Kitty to be able to control her gift as well as flourish somewhere where both her intellect and powers would help her fit in rather than isolate her further from society. These days, they mostly swooped in, forced to squeeze what should have been a lengthy explanation into a handful of cold lines about survival and then work on smuggling out of the all-humans and anti-mutant settlements to whatever mode of transport they were using to make their way to either one of the mutant tribes or back to the Xavier's Bunker, as their current home and base of operations was called.

Tonight's mission was supposedly one of those swoop in and convince their fellow mutant that it was better to run off with them than risk being found out and then either strung up by a mob of angry, fearful humans or imprisoned for the mere crime of being a step further up the ladder of human evolution.

Kitty was usually partnered up with Gambit or Bishop. While she and Bishop were strictly professional in their dealings, she quite liked Gambit, finding him someone she honestly could call a good friend which was usually difficult since they lived in too close quarters that friendships weren't conducive since tempers were usually a little high strung but he was fairly easy to get along and it showed both in their camaraderie on and off missions.

Tonight, however, it seemed that someone had a sick sense of humor to pair her up with Bobby, also known as Iceman. It wasn't that she hated him but after their messy history - what with Bobby's involvement with Rogue then with her and then just struggling with growing up and growing distant, Kitty felt that indifference was the best she could offer the male unlike how she was good friends with her other ex, Colossus, or his alter ego, Piotr. She had inwardly sighed and then headed off to hotwire one of the vans from an abandoned factory outside the city limits, easily using it as a front to drive into the city.

Frowning slightly, she had glanced at the block of flats that Bobby was pointing out. A quick scan of the bank of letterboxes on the main street gave them their latest mark's address. "Block 73, unit 3B." Her dislike grew. How was it that the normal humans thought that living in such a sterile environment was any better than living beside mutants? The irony that she was living in a rather sterile environment herself was not lost on her but she carefully ignored it.

She moved back into the shadowy alleyway. "Come on. There has to be a back entrance somewhere or perhaps a basement laundry room that I can phase us into." Kitty said in a low voice, not liking the quiet stillness of the night. Had it always been this silent in the human settlements or was she just feeling extra jumpy tonight? Her eyes flickered to the empty street but there was nothing to indicate anything was out of the ordinary, other than two mutants creeping around where they were not wanted. She ground her teeth slightly. Focus, she told herself crossly as they vaulted over the high fences and into the small concrete space that passed off as the backyard.

 

[BakedBeans 1up]

It was no surprise that Kitty was always the first name considered for missions like this. Her abilities to phase herself through all kinds of material was especially useful—whereas Colossus could get through three feet of concrete, Kitty could walk through it both quicker and much more quieter than her former flame. It wasn't just her powers that proved effective in recruitment missions, but she was both a kind and friendly spokesperson for Xavier's band of mutants. There was a certain warmth to the way she introduced herself, the way she smiled and the way she spoke. You could trust everything that she said... well, most people did. It was a sore subject for Bobby, who had frequently accused her of lying to him during the closing chapters of their relationship. He wished he could go back and retract the wild things he said to her, but they were living in a world where there were bigger moments in history that people longed to turn back to the clock and change.

Someone who was not-too-high on the recruitment job list was Wolverine, who despite being known as a man of many talents, was hardly the poster boy of Xavier's safe haven for mutants. His no-nonsense approach was best restricted to missions where a mutant needed rescued or someone needed sliced-and-diced. Bobby could remember one night where Logan had fought his way through almost a dozen heavily-armed guards, kicked down the front door and while holding out a bloodied hand with a sticky mask of crimson on his face, growled to a little girl: "You comin', or what?".

The smallest of smirks appeared at the corner of Bobby's face, but it disappeared faster than a blink of the eye. Reminiscing was best left for when they were back home in the bunker. His attention returned to the present moment, and his head tilted backwards to look up at the building before them. Bobby felt an unwanted chill tickle up his back, one which caused even the Iceman to shudder. While the intel reports were always sketchy, this one was particular vague. He had questioned Xavier on sending his top team in to enemy territory with little knowledge of what to expect, but their mentor waved off his concerns. With each day they survived, the risks grew bigger.

Security was tight, even for the most run-down apartments. Lights flickered next to the door, which on closer inspection appeared to be some kind of panel which required a key to function, as well as a number combination. "Let's get through that door..." Bobby began, his hand absently approaching hers when it suddenly stopped awkwardly a few inches away. You're being stupid, Bobby. They used to have no problem wrapping their fingers together—now it was as though her hands were radioactive. Like those first days with Rogue...

Get your head in the game, you idiot.